“[This] is certainly this estate’s greatest effort since their 2001. It completely outclasses everything from the appellation, but even when you’re number one, that’s often hard to do. This light gold wine offers up a sensational smorgasbord of aromas including huge honeyed pineapple and other caramelized tropical fruit flavors, massive richness, and a viscous, unctuous texture with the oak beautifully integrated. The wine has enough acidity to buttress its full-bodied mouthfeel…[amongst d’Yquem vintages], this is a powerful wine, but it is one built more on finesse and elegance, a la the 1988…[and] this wine will prove to have 50+ years of longevity. The finish, the mid-palate, the sensation of looking at a skyscraper of Semillon with a small dosage of Sauvignon, is impressive…Bravo!”

Robert Parker
–
The Wine Advocate

95+ WA

There aromas are well-behaved at first, but then start having some fun with lovely scents of dried honey, dried quince, marzipan and beeswax. Delving further into the aromatics there is a hint of spice and white pepper. The palate is extremely well-balanced with a viscous opening. There is great harmony and composure here – certainly not as voluminous or ravishing as the 2009 – but a controlled and very focused Yquem with a slight saltiness coming through toward the finish. The edginess is absorbing and it should play out nicely with bottle age. This could be the dark horse between the 2001 and 2009.

Neal Martin

Château d'Yquem

Château d'Yquem is considered by many to be Bordeaux's single greatest wine, and it is the only wine in France to hold the Premier Cru Superieur (Great First Growth) designation. The uncompromising pursuit of quality is what sets this sweet white wine apart – a standard meticulously maintained throughout the estate's history. The 126 hectares of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc vineyards are perfectly situated for the cultivation of the 'noble rot' (botrytis cinerea), providing a concentration and complexity second to none in Sauternes.

Sauternes & Barsac

The Sauternes appellation consists of 5 communes; Barsac, Preignac, Bommes, Fargues and Sauternes itself. Sauternes has a special, autumnal mesoclimate. In the evening, lingering mists are created by the cool, spring-fed waters of the Ciron River meeting those of the warmer, tidal Garonne. This results in an ideal environment for the growth of the mould botrytis cinerea, which slowly de-hydrates the grapes, leaving behind only the solid components, such as sugars, fruit acids and minerals. This is known as “noble rot” and it results in fruit that creates wines of finesse, distinction and longevity, the pinnacle of which is Ch ...

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is France's most celebrated wine region. With 120,000 hectares under vine and producing over 700 million bottles of wine per year, Bordeaux is not only the most illustrious area, it is also one of the largest wine producing regions on earth.